Abundant use of natural materials gives this kitchen, part of a Town Mountain Road estate, the majestic feel of an old-growth hardwood forest. Everywhere, the scale is sweeping. Architect/designer Andrew A. Willett describes “the impressive contrast” of the dark cabinets next to the stainless-steel appliances, and against the gorgeously figured light-toned granite slabs that distinguish the kitchen island and prep/bar area.
Many of those cabinets (by Bassett Builders) stretch from the Indian slate tile floors (featuring 18-x-18-inch squares) up to the ceiling, and are glass-paneled on their upper tiers. Mandala Design gets credit for the stunningly textured concrete backsplash behind the Viking range. Also making gallery grade is Andrew’s stone-clad barrel vault that leads to the dining room and the arched opening that shelters the multi-faceted breakfast nook.
There’s a regal air in the rugged stacked stonescaping that dominates one wall of the kitchen, backing the range; the rock work also shows up in the massing of the fireplace. A combination of canned and pendant lighting lends a burnished glow, and the multi-colored floor, plus other playful interstices of texture, further illuminates the scheme.
“We were able to create a beautiful balance between traditional forms blended with a soft edge of contemporary clean lines,” says Andrew. “The composition was created using window grills sparingly, the American clay walls returning to the windows and doors with no trim, and Euro cabinet boxes with more traditional flush door panels … [creating] an intermix of traditional archetypes you recognize and feel comfortable with, while giving them a fresh twist.”
But the eight kitchen chairs — four around the island and four in the breakfast nook — are proudly traditional. “The house plays on Old World themes by using thick walls when possible to accentuate mass and visual weight,” notes Andrew. This is a kitchen for the ages — friendly enough for everyday use, handsome enough for history.
RESOURCES
Architect/Designer Andrew A. Willett
Builder Cashin Construction Company
Cabinetry Bassett Builders
Countertops Mountain Marble
Lighting Christie’s Lighting
Stone Gary Stroud, G&S Stoneworks
Tile WNC Tile
Textured concrete backsplash Mandala Design